Rika's Fundraising Host Club
by TheBlueAmethyst
Summary: It's crazy how people flocked over to the gossiped over music room, where a plethora of hot men awaited the fangirls who had nothing better to do than fawn over them instead of studying. She didn't get the appeal but curiosity got the better of her. That's when it all went wrong. She accidentally discovered one of their secrets and now she's under their watchful eyes… Host Club AU!
1. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hello! So uh *nervously chuckles* Yeah, some of you might be giving me the death glares since "Oh geez, you upload a new story instead of updating TSG or ADW!" … I will get to those eventually, I'm definitely not gonna let you guys keep on hanging sopleasedon'tkillmeh. I just wanted to finally get this little idea out of my head that's occupied my imagination landscape for a while…

I mean seriously, ever since I saw the YouTube video edit that had the MM opening and OHSHC OP music combined, I knew I found something that was meant to be. I also have no doubt someone else had already thought of this XD Just look! A haven of bishounens with enigmatic backstories who throws parties, with an MC who just happened to join by accident? *mind blown* In any case, while this may take cues from OHSHC, it will be a different thing~~

Enough of me blabbing lol~ Please enjoy!

 **WARNING:** This story contains some spoilers, light angst, crude language, a dash of anime insanity and sprinkles of innuendos. Reader discretion is advised.

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Mystic Messenger, credits to Cheritz. I only own my OCs.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

Curiosity Killed the Cat

* * *

The distant sounds of chattering echoed in the large hallway lined with white marble pillars encrusted with golden linings the young woman was walking through, cradling her textbooks under her left arm as she scans through the material for her next class. Her beaten sneakers padded against the equally white marble tiled floor, the light from the beautiful glass windows illuminating the pages of her notebook. Cleanly-written notes taunted her static-filled mind, causing her to close the stationary abruptly in an effort to relax for a bit.

Hyuang International High School's extensively difficult curriculum did not hold back and as a student who had grades to maintain, she didn't really have much choice but to study hard.

It was break time and she moved at a brisk pace back towards her classroom in the east wing which was located at roughly the far end of the corridor. It was a good thing she had taken the time to go over the school's map last week or else she'd be lost roaming the gargantuan halls of the building again.

Then again, what did she even expect to get at the cafeteria earlier? The prices were insane!

"Just what were those mashed potatoes and steak made of? Gold bars?" she mumbled exasperatedly. As much as it was ridiculous it made sense though. This was a university for the well-established folks of Korea and she was lucky that she even got through the special entrance exams.

Taking a brief glimpse at her surroundings, she sighed in relief when she saw the sign that boldly declared '2-B'. Entering the room as quietly as possible, she scuttled over to her seat at the front row, ignoring the stares her fellow classmates gave her once they spotted her.

She placed her messenger bag on the desk and sat down with a sigh.

It had been a month since the start of the term that she was adjusting to their… curious looks. Since she was one of the few students not wearing the designated school uniform consisting of a one piece collared yellow dress with a black vest that bore the university's emblem, the look finished off with a red ribbon, she inevitably got bombarded with questions at one point.

She glanced at the nearby female classmates who were muttering things under their breath, the uniform hugging their elegant forms naturally, then sighed again. Not like she could help it though, the prices for the uniform were even more insane than the ones she saw earlier for those deluxe lunch sets. So many blinding zeroes…

She propped her arms on the desk, taking the time to scan her own body. The black jacket she wore hid the red striped shirt she borrowed from her sister's closet. Her jeans were snug comfortably against her legs.

All in all, she was dressed like… a normal person. She just wished other people would stop staring at her like she was from another planet or something.

Tucking back a strand of her brown hair, she decided to just start going over her World Literature lessons again, plugging in her earphones to drown out the sound of rumors and gossips about a certain club she didn't bother remembering the name of.

 _So, judging by the context of this story… it was premeditated murder. The Montresor guy lured Fortunato with the promise of rare wine, ordering his servants to be away so there'd be no witnesses and then proceeded to kill him in whatever fashion inside the vaults…_

A tap to her shoulder made her twitch.

 _…_ _He then possibly hid the body inside a cask. Since the vaults are made of nitre—which easily get damp and thus cold—the decaying process will go by much slower. Even if he decided to dump the body down the river or something, no one would exactly suspect anything once—_

Another frantic set of taps then turned into a full-blown slap at her back. It took her all of her mental strength not to lash out and instead calmly removed her earphones to look at the source of disturbance. There was only one person who'd really dare approach her like that.

"What is it, Hana?" she said, keeping the irritation out of her voice. Her now narrowed amber eyes observed the strangely energetic expression of the girl before her.

"Hello, Hyunjung! I couldn't find you earlier and I wanted to invite you to have lunch with me…" It was weird how her expression went from happy to dejected fast.

Hyunjung nervously chuckled as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I wanted to check it out on my own, you know—since I forgot my lunch and thought I could find something cheap so I didn't want to bother you," she mumbled before getting a face full of deep green eyes.

She took note of Hana's long curly red hair that framed her sharp features, accentuated by those piercing eyes of hers highlighted by mascara. From up close, she could smell the shampoo the girl used: scented lavender.

"Hyun. Jung. Lee. Don't say you are bothering me in any way!" she declared in a high pitched voice and Hyunjung could only flinch in response. She straightened up with a huff, placing her hands on her hips. "I've already decided you are a good friend. So don't think I'm here to antagonize you or anything, okay?"

The brunette blinked at the statement before sighing. "I know, you've reminded me one too many times… I'm just worried."

The redhead tilted her head, a frown marring her doll-like face. "Just because I'm part of the higher class and daughter to a well-known businessman doesn't mean I have a stick up my so-called rich pompous ass."

Her eyes widened like saucers at her friend's use of crude language. She let her gaze frantically travel around, tensing when she caught a few glares directed at them—particularly at the girl in front of her. "Please don't say things like that, Hana…"

She scoffed at her. "Goodness gracious, stop being so formal with me. I said just Hana is fine, remember?"

Hyunjung rubbed her temples in frustration, feeling uncomfortable with the growing tension she could sense was growing all around them. "Yeah, okay. Can you not do that again, Hana?"

It was then that the redhead smiled, one that screamed mischievous yet understanding at the same time. "Okay then, Jung~" she flicked the brunette's nose affectionately before she sat down on the desk just beside her.

She could only roll her eyes good-naturedly at the redhead. Hana Cha was one weird woman. A bit pushy and straightforward but she couldn't help but get drawn into her charming antics, especially since she was one of the few who came to her without any hidden motives.

Said woman let her chin rest on her open palm, elbow propped up on the desk. She appeared rather laidback now, except for the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "So, while Professor Baek is not here yet, how about a little chat?"

"We've been doing that for nearly 5 minutes by now..." The brunette deadpanned.

Hana simply grinned. "So, I heard there's that club that's recently functioning again after 2 years of inactivity…"

She quirked an eyebrow, drumming her fingers on her books as a few thoughts started popping up. "And..?"

That made the heiress grin even wider, showing of a perfect set of pearly whites. "And all the members there are apparently famous in their own right. From what I heard, there's that upcoming actor, a company heir, a well-known photographer, twins who're rumored to be sons of a politician, the genius son from a line of doctors, and now a mysterious transfer student," he listed off, a thoughtful look present on her face.

"Plus, from what I've heard they're all pretty good-looking," she added as an afterthought.

"What am I supposed to do with that information?" she asked dryly. "Not like it's going to help my grades or life."

Hana raised an eyebrow at her. "You and your worries… geez, you're too serious, you know that?"

"Blame the grade requirements, not me."

The heiress rolled her eyes. "Partial on the grades and mostly on the individual… just because you're on a scholarship doesn't mean you have to miss out on the fun."

She gave her a blank look, feeling tired of being reminded of her status. "So what's your point?"

Hana's grin faltered for a bit before she leaned in to whisper. "Those guys are rumored to throw a bunch of parties here in school before, thanks to the pull of one of the members. While they don't do that, they operate like a host club in order to attract potential guests! _And_ get this, they're supposedly planning one that's gonna take place two weeks from now… that's _after_ the transfer student joined them for some debatable reason."

A grimace found its way to the brunette's usually blank expression. "I'm supposed to care because..?"

The heiress gave her a closed eyed smile. "Hmm, maybe it's because you and I will be visiting them after class."

Hyunjung did a double-take, mouth open to form an immediate retort. Unfortunately, the redhead held up a hand to signal she wasn't exactly done yet. She let out an exasperated sigh and motioned the heiress to continue, scowling all the while. "I won't deny that I'm curious to see some eye candy but I'm more curious to find out what all the fuss is about. Mostly because I heard invitations to the party they host are extremely rare and… well, they're a rather interesting set of people to maybe acquaint myself with."

She pursed her lips and wore a tight expression at those last few words, a faraway look suddenly making Hyunjung feel distanced from the heiress. She wordlessly held Hana's left hand and squeezed it, hoping to give her comfort in whatever had brought down her mood.

Though if she were to give her two cents on the matter, she had no doubt it was one of those family politics issues…

The corners of Hana's lips pulled up into a small, brittle smile.

The brunette let her thoughts travel for a moment as the other girl remained in contemplative silence. On one hand, her interest had been piqued by the mention of an inactive club suddenly springing into life, which apparently organizes parties and while they do that, they play the role of entertainers to catering to the female student body and partial to the male. It wasn't everyday when one could hear such an outlandish activity be a thing in school.

On the other hand, with her reputation and status she'd undoubtedly garner attention once she set foot in their territory and quite possibly paint a target on Hana's back if she's seen there. While society has improved, some standards definitely haven't…

Though it wasn't her fault she was born part of the lower class.

While she wasn't worried about getting any of the dirty looks, it didn't pose the same for the other girl. She may not mind her presence but… others will. Hyunjung may not say it out loud but in the short while that she'd befriended the heiress, she knew that she wasn't like the rest of her people, which in turn made her stand out and vulnerable. Boys and girls alike would just use her as a bridge to gain the heiress' recognition—even if they may find her 'embarrassing', as one stupid male had pointed out once—and they wouldn't bat an eye at her presence at a later date.

It didn't help that she was admittedly drop dead gorgeous while she was vanilla flavored in comparison.

A muffled groan escaped her and she shook her head in dismay.

 _All these rich bastards and their stupid politics… It's Hell Joseon indeed,_ she grimly thought before letting go of the redhead's hand to face her. "… While I think this is pointless, we'll go but only for a short while to check them out. By short I mean half an hour at best. Deal?"

Hana's face morphed from confusion and shock to joy and fondness. "Y-yeah! Definitely!"

The brunette flicked her forehead as soon as Professor Baek entered the classroom, causing everybody to rush to their respective seats.

At least she'd indulge herself in her imagination before diving into the pit of snakes.

* * *

The afternoon classes went by like a breeze, with Hyunjung content with the amount of notes she had done. She skimmed through her handwriting and put a few markers where she thought was important in the future and packed her things.

She instantly felt a presence sneak up behind her. "Are you ready to go~?" a sweet tone chimed in, laced with that infuriatingly mischievous but fond undertone.

The brunette sighed in response. "As much as I could really be at this point… so, I guess?"

As soon as she placed the last of her things in her messenger bag, she was dragged by the arm by the bubbly redhead. She sputtered exasperatedly as she fumbled with the straps of her bag, shooting a glare at her. Hana only grinned and winked.

 _Just what have I gotten myself into?_ Hyunjung thought to herself, a headache starting to form.

After walking through the corridors and past the subtle stares they received, both girls had made their way to the west wing—if the brunette remembered correctly—was where the club rooms were. The scholar never really explored this area except if she had to go bring some papers to the professor that loved classical music. She never really did find any clubs fully interesting. There was that Art club and the choir… but then her study time would be cut back by several hours and quite frankly she was unsure if she could handle more pressure.

But she was getting off track.

"Hey…" the brunette began to which Hana turned her head to briefly to show she was listening. "You never really told me how this 'host club' we're visiting operates."

The heiress hummed. "Well, I actually didn't catch that part when I was digging around for information."

Hyunjung narrowed her eyes. "You mean you _chose_ to not dig around for that particular information," she said in a monotone.

Her odd friend laughed heartily, causing her to sigh once more. If she was able, she would have struck a palm on her forehead with full force just so she could test if her sanity was still intact. Sadly both of her arms were preoccupied. "You're ridiculous."

She was given a shark-like grin in response. "It's not fun if you have all the answers at the start of an adventure, is it?"

"It will be if it means I can stay sane."

She scoffed, swiftly navigating them around the crowd. "What's even considered sane anymore? Norms are so overrated and going by society's standards is a boring way to live."

"Point taken." She really didn't have any arguments to that.

It was weird but she was really enjoying her mind buzzing, theories thrown left and right about this enigmatic host club and reasons as to why it was back in business. Despite her initial uncertainty, she decided that she really might as well get this over with or else it'll just haunt her mind when she's back home.

The walk continued until they reached the grand staircase, the redhead leading her up eagerly. Her eyebrows scrunched up as she spotted a few women chatting animatedly, pink dusting their cheeks. There were even more that came from behind them, appearing as eager if not even more, than Hana. The moment they had gotten to the third floor, a staggering amount of females were out and about, traces of any of the male population were maybe around… 1 in 100.

The brunette had to blink a couple of times, disbelief lining her indifferent face.

… How?

By this time, Hana had intertwined their hands together and gently tugged at her, relaxing as she observed the people around her. She swore she could see a dark look pass her face only to quickly disappear, replaced by that cheeky smile of hers. The scholar let her own eyes travel and landed on a few who glared at her a couple of times.

 _That makes sense._ She had expected this already, but the burning feeling that bore through her skin was intense, it made her skin crawl.

Hyunjung squeezed the redhead's hand, choosing to ignore the rest in favor of picking up the pace towards the source, her now taking the lead. Following the trails, the conjugation had gathered around the giant mahogany door with the sign 'Third Music Room'. Whispers buzzed through the corridor and surprisingly, everyone was letting them pass as they parted to make way for the duo. Weird but that meant they'd get this over with faster. Wordlessly, the two eyed the closed door as the brunette pushed it open in part relief, part annoyance.

A burst of rose petals blinded her.

"Welcome to Rika's Fundraising Host Club!"

The first to recover was Hana who muttered, "What in the world?"

Soon, the brunette followed suit and rubbed her eyes a couple of times for good measure.

The room had resembled a ballroom, except for the fact that plush-looking seats and coffee tables had decorated the area amongst pillars with tall, ornate flower vases containing roses, lilies and baby's breath. Golden chandeliers hung above, softly illuminating the room since white curtains had covered the glass window panes. To the side, a table with various sweets—heck there was a chocolate fountain?!—and tea sets were displayed, all sparkling brightly as if to accentuate the classy mood the place exuded.

In the center of this were seven men who were in different poses, wearing the school's uniform consisting of a yellow blazer, black pants, white collared shirt and a red tie. Different shades of hair color greeted her, making the brunette wonder how much they paid for it to be so… vibrant.

An awkward silence fell upon them as everybody was locked in a staring contest. Hyunjung glanced at the heiress who fidgeted in place, and she started to feel self-conscious as well since they seemed to just undress her with those looks.

The first one to speak to the duo was the silver-haired man with piercing red eyes, leaning over in his throne. "Oh? My, my, what a lovely day this must be that God graces us with these beautiful young flowers~," he spoke light-heartedly, a smile that was so charming it hurts, showing up on his chiseled face.

Hyunjung twitched. _Seriously, words aimed to flatter are so cheesy. Then again there are those gullible enough to fall for it._

Her gaping friend meanwhile seemed in awe while she resisted the urge to run away. She had promised to survive this for half an hour… she was gonna do it.

Next, a look of recognition passed on one of the red-haired men, specifically the one with the patterned glasses. "Wait, you two are in the same year as us!" he declared boldly, an excited grin plastered on his face. "Ain't that right, bro?"

The one beside him—the indifferent looking twin without glasses—glanced at them once before shrugging.

Then, a set of violet eyes had fixated an intense glare at her. Hyunjung backed up slightly, biting down a snarky response as her bottom lip twitched. Her palms were starting to become sweaty. Why in the world had they even started conversing to just them when a bunch of other women were outside?

 _Wait..._ She mentally cursed everything. Those women had let them in without much fuss. If this was some sort of initiation ceremony, she seriously wanted to dive out a window.

"… That's right! You're that commoner who got accepted in the scholarship program! Like Jaehee!" the blonde exclaimed, and glasses-wearing androgynous man next to him immediately leveled an irritated look at the giddy boy.

She shared the sentiment. She didn't need to hear of her 'commoner' status.

"Interesting." The raven-haired man who stood at the back tilted his head slightly at her, his gaze forcing her to look away uneasily. "I must say though, seeing Miss Cha here is quite surprising."

At this point, Hana seemed to have snapped out of her self-induced daze and cleared her throat. "… Mr. Han. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Likewise. You did say you weren't exactly approved of taking part in such activities," he stated.

She smiled, but Hyunjung could see it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I simply said I wasn't approved. I didn't say I wasn't interested."

"Quite so. You definitely do have an interesting taste of company as well." The likely upperclassman gave a brief glance at her, and Hyunjung frowned.

The redhead's smile tightened. "Ahaha, that's quite the contrary, Mr. Han. You seem to have the more unique taste of friends than I have."

It was unnerving to see Hana standing there, chin lifted up as if staring him down. Her posture had become straight and she had let go of the brunette's hand in order to cross her arms, a picture of a perfectly groomed lady superimposing on her. Her normally warm smile had gone to make place for a neutral expression.

Dead air had risen and the brunette's eyes went from Hana to 'Mr. Han'.

It took about five seconds before a new voice spoke, its owner placing a hand on the raven-haired man's shoulder. "Jumin. You're making our guests uncomfortable." The teal-haired man's deep baritone voice was like bells in her ears, and strangely enough, everyone in the room relaxed. Hana sighed before flicking away some of her hair back.

Hyunjung shifted in place, her stoic expression becoming even harder to maintain. In the very least, her opinion on the club had improved, thanks to the interference of the tallest in the group.

"I apologize," Jumin curtly said, letting his expression becoming more lax but still indifferent. He gave the heiress an apologetic look but it was plain to see that it was half-hearted at best. Hana didn't take much note of it and silently snorted, tension in her body leaving. She exchanged glances with the brunette and her eyes sent a message.

 _'Sorry you had to put up with this.'_

She lightly knocked the redhead's side with the back of her hand. ' _No, it's ok.'_

The heiress offered a hesitant smile and was about to speak when the silver-haired man bellowed. "You just had to scare the ladies, didn't you?" He whipped his head back and glared at Jumin for a moment before standing up, brushing the non-existent dust on his lean form.

He walked up to them, doing large strides as he had in his hands two roses that materialized out of nowhere. Or did he pick them off one of the vases?

Anyways, he was now standing a few meters away from them, towering over them by inches… which quite frankly made Hyunjung huff out. He looked to have neared the six foot mark, while she was just 5'3. Well, whatever. Genetics had demanded her growth should be a painfully arduous process that threaded her patience on a rather thin line. It'd be nice to be as tall as her brother though—

"For the young ladies."

Her train of thought was derailed since one of the two roses was being held out in front of her, the red-eyed man smiling all the while. "Tis but a humble offering in the presence of such beauties… And it's an apology for one of my ' _acquaintances'_ remarks."

The scholar silently reached out to take the rose, ignoring the way he seemingly growled at the implication of whom she assumed was the raven-haired man as a 'friend' so to speak—just so he could maybe not take up much of her personal space any longer.

His pheromones were also very frightening. How does he hold so much of it? Did he hit jackpot when God let blessings rain down on Earth?

"Thank you..?" Hana said with a hint of confusion. The heiress eyed it with a slight blush creeping up her cheeks and she gave the blooming rose a whiff. "It smells wonderful."

She glanced at her own rose, feeling rather off-put by the attention.

All of a sudden, the albino twirled, taking two steps back and raising his arms in a rather flamboyant manner. "As pioneers of elegance and grace in this world, we strive to express ourselves to the public and cater to the growing needs for a sanctuary to you blossoming goddesses like no other."

His entire demeanor had changed from gentle to commandeering and his voice had taken a grandeur tone. "So it is with great pleasure that we once again welcome the two of you to Rika's Fundraising Host Club.

"Here, each of the members present our guests with quality service in terms of diverse personas…"

Hyunjung wanted to tune out his speech but found herself at a loss. The back of her mind had more and more questions that were mostly grounded around one common point. _Who in the world is Rika?_

It hadn't quite registered that she was already in the arms of the silver-haired man, so did Hana.

"So, ladies, I must ask which one is your preferred type…"

The brunette sent him a weirded-out look which he promptly replied to with a smile. "The sensitive, kind and artistic type?" he gestured to the teal-haired man and for some reason, flowers and a glow surrounded him. Great, now she's imagining things.

"The cute gaming addict oozing with innocence?" he continued, motioning to the fidgeting blonde whose shocked expression melted into a sweet, melting smile.

"The gorgeous, mischievous twins?" Like earlier, the gag-glasses wearing redhead perked up and linked his arm with the quiet twin, the former wore a smirk while the latter was stone-faced, though traces of a faint smirk were there.

She gulped at the wink the energetic twin sent her.

The albino didn't seem to notice as he went on. "The handsome, corporate ice prince? Can't believe I'm saying this though…" those last words of his were mumbled under his breath but being this close to him let Hyunjung's already sharp ears pick it up. If she had the ability to sweat-drop like in anime, she would have done so.

 _Wonder if these two are like night and day…_

"Our newest addition: the always reliable and cautious one?" This time, the androgynous male straightened up stiffly and looking closely, there was hardness in their eyes that the brunette identified as reluctance. That just piqued her interest once again. Maybe she could ask around for information on this one—

His sudden movement jostled her, and in her surprise she let out a barely audible 'eep' as Zen was now in front of them. "Or perhaps the talented actor who was born with such a beautiful face it should be illegal is what you're looking for?"

She shivered at his proximity as her mind screamed ' _Stranger Danger!'_

Her redhead friend on the other hand, blushed furiously that her face matched the color of her hair. "I-I, uh…" she eloquently said, giving Hyunjung a pleading stare. Oi, oi, wasn't she the one who was supposed to do the talking?

Then again she forgot to state that in their promise.

She sighed for the umpteenth time. Loopholes are a pain to deal with. "So, I suppose since you're making us choose, this is a trial period, I assume?"

He gave her an unusually wide smile. "I wouldn't exactly call it as such but… you are correct. As expected from the exemplary scholar Hyunjung Lee, your reputation as a genius of the common rabble is on par as Jaehee's."

Ignoring the backhanded compliment, the brunette glimpsed at the obviously out of place looking student, who despite wearing an equally stoic face, was crap at hiding how highly uncomfortable he was and shrugged.

"A heroine amongst the greatest heroes! One who represents the hidden wisdom that complements the strength of great men such as I..." Zen chuckled, reaching out to hold her by the chin.

She immediately backed away, conveying her unwillingness to be touched with a hardened stare. "In any case… you've done one bad thing in this whole introductory segment."

The albino let go of her as he placed a hand on his chin, adopting a confused expression and eyed her. "Do tell?"

Her patience with the ridiculous situation was waning. "What are your names? Don't tell me you guys planned on making us refer to you by your designated charming traits. The novelty of 'dearly beloved talented actor' kinda wears off after a while and honestly becomes lame. Kind of like a broken record," she said in the most deadpan voice ever.

He blinked.

The sudden fall of silence should have clued her in. Hana looked at her as if she had grown another head.

Abrupt, obnoxious laughter resounded in the room. " _Bwahahahaha,_ s-s-she's got you g-good Zen! O-oh my God, _bwahahaha!"_ the red-haired student cradled his stomach as he struggled to maintain to stay upright. His twin awkwardly stood still, irritation and slight amusement visible in his eyes.

It was then that Zen blanched and gasped in horror, the expression on his face was like a kicked puppy. He backed away to a corner and sat there sulking, a dark aura cloaking him.

The laughter became louder and a new voice joined in. " _Ahaha_ , Zen-hyung's e-expression was p-priceless!" the blond cackled.

"Wish I-I could have b-borrowed Jihyun-hyung's camera! C-can't you get it, Yoosung?" the glasses-wearing redhead said in between laughs to the pink-faced blonde.

Yoosung glanced at the teal-haired man and snorted. "Y-you go ahead and ask V that, Seven…"

Nevertheless, Seven continued to laugh and this time, staggered over to his fellow glasses-wearing member. "J-Jaehee… what d-do you have to say? Since y-you're a big— _hmph!"_

Jaehee swiftly placed himself behind the laughing idiot, covering his mouth while holding him back by the arm in thinly veiled rage. "Saeran. Please get Luciel here to shut up before I do so," he spat out, and the venom in his strangely feminine voice was barely concealed.

The laughing idiot's twin rubbed his temples in frustration. Saeran walked over with a sigh and pulled at his brother's collar, dragging him back to their previous position. "… Saeyoung. Please keep it down. We're already past opening hours by ten minutes," he huffed as Seven/Luciel/Saeyoung—seriously this guy's name is confusing—wheezed out a few more laughs.

Hyunjung edged herself closer to the heiress, feeling very isolated from the interactions of the other group. "… Was this what you expected?" she couldn't help but ask.

Her friend wore a forced smile. "Honestly, no. They're a rather… eccentric group."

The brunette gave her a look that said _'Be honest and just say they're weirdos'_. She answered with a cheeky smile which resulted in her sighing in resignation.

"We should get our session started. It wouldn't do us any good to keep everybody waiting," V quipped, catching the duo's attention again.

He jogged over to Zen, shaking him by the shoulders. Hyunjung swore she could see mushrooms had grown around the silver haired man. There seemed to be even one on his head.

Was this even possible?

… They probably screwed over logic somehow and paid it a day off.

Jumin made a disgruntled sound. "Seriously, stop moping. We're losing valuable time and money by the second. Or can't you wrap that idea around your head because it's too filled with your broken ego?"

Tension occupied the previously calming area. She swore she could have heard a pin drop as the glasses-wearing redhead muttered _"Oh, burn."_ V stared at the raven-haired man with a mortified expression as Zen stood up, dark aura replaced with anger.

"Shut it, trust fund kid. We get the point," he said through gritted teeth.

"Do you really?"

He marched back towards his seat, V trailing behind with a worried expression. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am. Are you confidently assuming that because your stuck-up attitude's clouding your oh so magnificent thought processes?"

"I'm confident because I know I'm right," Jumin replied flatly, appearing tired of the conversation.

Zen scowled. "Be glad that we're not alone in this room or I would have—ugh, screw everything, you're not worth it."

Jumin rolled his eyes at the display and faced the two of them. The brunette felt like shrinking into a corner from those cold eyes. "Hyunjung and Hana… please accept our apologies for the lack of professionalism."

The scholar's arms bolted up and she waved them repeatedly in embarrassment. "N-no, it's quite fine. I was also rude with the way I phrased what I said earlier." She bowed low while Hana folded her arms and nonchalantly shrugged. "Besides, the introductions have been indirectly made, have they not?"

"That's right, everybody was mentioned," The violet eyed blonde supplied, grinning all the while. "So no need for any refreshers right?"

They shook their heads.

Jumin suddenly sigh out loud. "Anyways, as we've sorted out our little… chat, you two may choose which host you'd want to have for your preferred amount of time."

Oh, right…

She did a sideways glance and noticed the heiress subtly gesturing to the back. From the corner of her eye, she could sense a thousand glares from the slightly ajar door. She felt the chills go down her back from how scorching and loathing they were. Her watch told her that they had fifteen minutes left and that she was close to freedom.

Silence reigned once again.

The brunette made a tired face. Right, she just had to get this over with and study back home then sleep. Whoever Hana chose, she had no business with for now.

 _Which one should I choose then?_ Hmm, she was kind of put off by the blonde's insensitivity… and she could tell that if she hung with one of the twins she may have to deal with the other anyways. While there was no problem with the quiet twin, if she had to guess then it was probable Seven was going to bother them with his loudness if she chose him. Zen was too pushy for her liking while Jumin was… kinda scary.

That left either V or Jaehee.

The former had a rather soothing aura to him while the latter was relatable and interested her, as both were the more sane counterbalances to the insanity that is the remaining four—though she did feel like she had a kindred spirit in the form of Saeran.

She breathed in deeply. Her choice was set.

"… Jaehee."

"I choose Zen!"

They said at the same time—one calmly and the other nearly yelling out loud. "Just fifteen or twenty minutes should be fine for the both of us," Hyunjung added, shuffling in place.

The glasses-wearing male had a hint of a smile, eyes twinkling in a mixture of relief and apprehension. _Curious._ Since he was also one of the reasons she agreed to this in the first place, she wanted to finally figure out the mystery surrounding the transfer student.

Zen on the other hand, swept Hana off her feet as she squeaked, yelling out "Your wish is my command, princess!" and depositing her on a seat in the northeast area of the ballroom. The redhead had her head lowered, face reddening by the minute. Hyunjung looked at the scene even more tiredly than she was.

"… Shall we go then?" that distinctly feminine voice said.

She turned to face the androgynous man who was just about an inch or two taller than her, hazel eyes glinting softly.

"Okay."

The two brunettes sauntered over to a seat just a few steps away. About three plates of chocolate cake and piping hot tea had magically placed themselves over the coffee table, and she didn't question bother to question their appearance any further—she learned not to in just the past fifteen minutes.

Seating herself comfortably, she heard the remaining members speak.

"Everybody, welcome to Rika's Fundraising Host Club."

It didn't occur to her how many people were just waiting for _this._ An array of students from the freshmen to the seniors flooded the room in concentrated amounts and others were standing idly outside with rather impatient looks, the door closing loudly in their faces. She counted thirty or so heads which were animatedly chatting to which the other members were calmly responding and even flirting to. Leading the group was surprisingly Jumin, whose behavior turned 90 degrees with the way he was responding to the congregation of crazed fangirls.

"Jumin-oppa~! How are you doing? I'd love to have you as my designated host today!" a blonde student asked, practically collapsing straight into his chest.

"I'm well. And I'd be honored to have such a fine woman in my company." He smiled warmly and there was a glint of emotion in those onyx eyes she just couldn't figure out. The student jumped back, squealing so loudly that Hyunjung winced.

A grinning girl in a bob cut nearly got up in his face. "I also want you right now, oppa! Please?"

"I don't think I could resist not having you with me right now, miss." The raven-haired man patted her head in an almost affectionate manner which promptly caused the girl's whole face to turn a blazing red.

Another blonde with a ponytail curtsied her way over to him, hooking her arm around Jumin's like fish to bait. "Hey daddy, I missed ya," she purred, pushing her chest to the man's arm. _Oh God, do you have no shame, lady?!_ Her brain screamed. "You don't mind if I have you again, hm?"

She'd think there'd be some sort of reaction, a simple flinch or twitch or snappy comeback would have sufficed. Well, the raven-haired man wasn't fazed in the slightest and only chuckled. "Now, now, we have enough time. For now shall we decide on everyone's designations?"

A chorus of cheers and ear shattering squeals erupted from the collection of women while V raised his voice, a tablet in his arms. "Everybody, as usual please follow the standards: fill out the short form here and you'll shortly receive a notification on your devices confirming your request with the RFHC website. To those who have no accounts yet, simply visit our website and register in order to not only keep updated on the latest happenings in club but also reap benefits depending on your designations."

Hyunjung let a groan escape her lips. This club… it's terrifying just thinking about how much effort was put into it. Seriously, they're that popular to have their own site?

Or did one of their members actually calculate they needed one and hired someone to make it? Or did they make it themselves? Maybe it was that Rika person mentioned in the club name… whoever they were they had a vital role in the creation of this extracurricular activity.

A coughing sound brought her out of her musings. "Oh, sorry, Jaehee."

Her fellow scholar awkwardly sat a few inches away from her, flicking a sheepish expression at her. "No, it's okay Hyunjung."

"Just Jung is fine," she said, taking a plate from the table. A tantalizing aroma wafted in the air and she raised a spoon to her lips. She blinked as she bit down on the treat, the rich taste of caramel and milk chocolate harmonizing in her mouth, the sweet vanilla icing melting at the tip of her tongue. The consistency and the texture were just glorious…

The brunette grinned. _Now this I like…_

She heard Jaehee's muffled laughter and she turned, scooping another portion of the food from the heavens. "It's not every day I get to eat something this delicious and likely made by a top class patissier."

"That is true. Do you like sweets?"

"I don't have a sweet tooth but chocolate is a guilty pleasure of mine," she replied before taking another bite. She wanted to swoon in delight. "Ahh… flavor on point."

He snickered. "So, since we have fifteen more minutes, I think it's about time that we formally introduced ourselves."

She licked her chapped lips, setting down the cake in favor of tea. She didn't know what kind it was but no doubt it was expensive. Earl Grey, maybe? Jasmine? She wasn't an expert on this… she'd read more on tea at home if she had the time.

"I don't mind. You already know but I'm Hyunjung Lee, sophomore and the supposed 'scholar from the commoner's sector'," she said, nearly rolling her eyes at the quote. "I just transferred here this semester."

There was that unreadable expression on his face once more and she noted him caressing the edges of the tea cup he was now holding in his hands. "I'm Jaehee Kang, a junior and I guess also a scholar 'representing the common people of Korea'. I was actually supposed to transfer here last semester but a few things came up and… well now I'm here."

"I can see that. There's a lot of talk about you just so you know," she began, hoping to start fishing for clues.

He shrugged. "I know. People often like to produce theories on things that pique their interest, even if some get a bit… outlandish," he trailed off with a grumble.

The brunette couldn't help but laugh at the horrified look that passed Jaehee's pale face. "Don't worry, I can relate. The ones running the rumor mill get a bit too excited… if my memory serves me right, I do believe one about you being gay was floating around," she said before drinking, feeling the liquid's sweet sensation travel alongside the remainders of the cake's own taste.

"Last I recall, I was more interested in the opposite sex," he snarked.

She shrugged helplessly. "It's just what I heard. I've learned to take them with a grain of salt."

He sighed. "Where do people even get that..?"

"I'd guess mostly from their proactive imaginations, you never know with the increasing number of potential fangirls these days," she joked.

Jaehee snorted. "Right."

The two of them slipped into relative silence, and Hyunjung's eyes trailed off to where Hana was. It was safe to say that the redhead was enjoying herself… if that ridiculous blush was any sort of hint. Zen was being surrounded by two more women but he was holding Hana in a half hug, eliciting a small grumble from the company present.

Oh, speaking of women.

"You're Jaehee, right?"

A tall girl with tomato red, wavy locks reaching down to her back, part of her hair held up twin-tails, stood to the side of their area, a regal air surrounding her. Her dark green eyes stared down at them sharply, a calculating look barely hidden underneath her smile, a sharp contrast to Hana's warmer light green ones. Hyunjung fought the desire to frown at the way she seemed to sneer when her gaze landed on her person.

"Ah hello, yes I am. You are..?" Jaehee trailed off, smiling politely as he stared.

Her uniform's skirt danced as she sat down on the seat opposite the duo. "You may call me Nari. I believe we've met yesterday."

The scholar adopted a thoughtful look. "Hmm, ah, I do recall you had designated Zen-sunbaenim the other day."

She nodded, taking a cup tea and sipping at it with a nearly imperceptible emotion flashing in her sharp eyes. "Yes… I hope you don't mind. After all, there is no concrete rule regarding host designations, was there?"

"No, I don't. I'm very happy to have you." The androgynous man smiled sheepishly.

Nari beamed at them, wrinkling her skirt as the light tone of her voice carried a slight edge to it. "As do I."

She couldn't help but blink with a blank face at the scene. _Something's off for some reason…_ she thought as she stared at her reflection in the tea.

Well, it ultimately wasn't her business if the twin-tailed girl looked odd, unless something happened. Besides, she should try to get what she came for and hope that her curiosity gets curbed after this.

Sneaking a glance at her fellow brunette, she did a quick scan of him from top to bottom and took in all his features. His cleanly cut hair with bangs parted to the right that brought attention to his slightly rounded eyes, the thin rimmed glasses that perched on the bridge of his small nose, rather pink lips … heck he really could pass off as a girl if he had longer hair.

Seriously, his skin looks so soft…

"… Jung?"

She blinked back to reality where two sets of stares were directed at her. "O-oh, sorry I was just thinking of something. What were we talking about again?"

"I wanted to know how a person such as yourself had decided to come here," Nari said, lifting the cup again to her mouth.

"Oh, well… I just got pulled along by a friend who was interested."

The teacup clicked against the tabletop as Nari traded it for the plate of sweets. "Really? Could it be Miss Cha?" She nodded, and the girl hummed thoughtfully. "I haven't seen her since the last charity ball my father held… that's rather unexpected of you. She has quite a brash personality."

The scholar craned her head to the side, chancing a glimpse at Hana who was suddenly poking Zen with a grin on her face. "True. She's a force to be reckoned with to be honest. But then, she's always fun to be with even if she's really noisy at times."

"So you're friends? I never thought that would be possible."

Hyunjung was about to answer when the redhead cut her off. "After all, I thought you were quite busy trying to keep up with others when you're clearly not fit to be here."

She narrowed her eyes at the woman, feeling the bile rise from her throat when her previously calm expression morphed into disgust.

"Now what brought that up?" the brunette asked sharply.

"Answer me this Jaehee, how does it feel now that you've been properly cleaned up? Not only that… you've actually managed to weasel your way into allowing Zen to become rather interested in you…" she continued, ignoring Hyunjung as she tilted her head, a mocking expression twisting her face. "You even made him get dirty trying to salvage your 'belongings' back in the courtyard."

The glasses-wearing man's gaze turned hard. "… So you were the one who threw my bag into the fountain."

Hyunjung's eyes widened. _Seriously? Bullying even here?_ Her grip on the handle of the teacup was turning her knuckles white, before she decided to put it back on the table before she accidentally broke it. With gritted teeth, she remained silent, trying to piece the whole situation whole with the scraps of information she had.

Nari scoffed. "You have no proof and besides, rumors travel fast, don't they? Still, I do think it's rather atrocious that dear Zen had to get himself wet just for the sake of a commoner like you. Like the situation with this girl here and Miss Cha. To be frank, it's unbecoming."

"And what's wrong with being a commoner?" the scholar retorted, placing the tea on the table and crossing her arms. This woman was taking this too far. "We're all human here. Don't talk as if you're referring to us as lowlifes."

She sneered. "Are you not?"

Hyunjung's upper lip twitched, a menacing look crossing her eyes. "I don't see what your problem here is, what with you just suddenly deciding to insult us. Whatever agenda you have, all I can hope is that you stop being a bitch about it."

The redhead made a face, clearly offended with her remark. "Simple, really. Perhaps you two could just remove yourselves from the equation? Your presence serves quite... disturbing."

Clicking her tongue, she made a move to get up in the girl's face when Jaehee spoke up again. "Could it be… you're jealous?"

The brunette's eyebrows shot up. "Jealous…" she parroted, glancing at the suddenly fuming Nari.

"You're jealous that Zen-sunbaenim—"

Things happened too fast for Hyunjung to react to quickly. One moment they were all just sitting, the next the coffee table had been knocked to the side, everything on its surface tumbling to the floor with a resounding crash. The seat the redhead had once occupied had toppled backwards, bringing its occupant with it and shockingly, Jaehee, with her. He was on the floor on top of her, arms propped up and visibly struggling with sudden change of equilibrium.

Nari screamed, a shrill noise piercing the air. "Help m-me! Jaehee suddenly a-a-attacked me!"

Hyunjung sat there stupefied, wrapping her head around the situation and eyes darting to and fro to observe how deadly silent it had become. Her gaping mouth shut with a click when her mind flashed to the second when the woman grasped at Jaehee's arm. She promptly turned angry. _The damned woman's playing victim,_ her mind screeched.

"Please! Get this p-pervert off of me! I just said that he's becoming closer to Z-Zen and then h-he got mad!" she cried out, flailing underneath Jaehee's stiff form as tears formed in her eyes in an almost convincing manner. "H-he said that it should be none of my b-business and he j-just pinned me down!"

Jaehee swayed back, panic settling in his features. She tethered at the edge of the couch, ready to jump in at a moment's notice when things escalated. She internally cursed at the members who suddenly disappeared from sight.

"S-somebody please t-take him away already!"

 _That is IT._

Hyunjung was about to march over to them when two teapots were hovering over them, dousing the duo with cold rose-colored liquid. Her eyes widened at the sight of the twins, restrained fury practically radiating around them in waves.

"Stop it. You're being shameless. Jaehee would never do that," they both said in perfect sync, drifting over to the brunette who was now standing.

"W-what?" Nari croaked, disbelief lining her face. Jaehee mimicked the twin-tailed girl's expression but it was plain to see he was grateful with their interference.

Seven didn't hesitate on placing an elbow on Hyunjung's head. She let him be since this wasn't the time. "For starters, we have a witness here who looked quite ready to throttle you when you started spouting your inconceivable story. Right, Jung-chan?"

She sent him a flat stare. _'… Don't you Jung-chan me, you're not Japanese and it isn't cute,'_ her mind snapped, feeling a vein throb in her forehead. "… Well, she's lying, I can say that confidently."

"I'm n-not lying! I-I—"

"We can check the cameras and we'll see who's lying then," Saeran cut in with a dark glint in those golden eyes, causing the redhead to shut up with a squeak.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Jumin and V step in from wherever they had been near a table near the windows, the latter still holding onto the tablet he had earlier. They stopped in front of the growing group.

"No need. We already know what happened…" V flipped the device in his hands.

While she was amused by the fact that the video playing was showing the irrefutable proof that Nari was lying, the girl's eyes blazed with so much hate in that one moment, she could feel the hairs on her skin rise.

Jumin on the other hand, stepped closer and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "What a shame…"

Green eyes glared at the group scathingly. "I-I… How can you say that to me?! Why are you so intent on protecting him?!" she pleaded, her breaking voice acting the part of a damsel in distress. "He had clearly a-attacked me!"

"Just stop it or this is just going to turn out even worse for you." Hyunjung smiled at Yoosung's words. He was scowling and had his arms crossed, framing has as a rather… reliable individual.

A hand reached out to the raging girl to grab her by the chin and made her look the other way. "Such a pretty face…" the silver-haired man whispered.

Nari's expression turned hopeful. "Z-Zen!"

He smiled. "Unfortunately, it's wasted on a bitter soul."

A choked gasp escaped her. "W-what—"

"Jaehee's an important member of this group and he's a respectable man. He can never hurt anyone and is always worried about others over himself. So the fact that you're accusing him of such can't be ignored…" Zen straightened up, letting go of Nari and placing a hand on Jaehee's head. His gaze never wavered. "In short, this club will no longer accept you and will terminate your account due to inexcusable foul actions. Please exit the room."

"I… Z-Zen-oppa, you're an idiot!"

Her strangled sobs echoed as she stumbled out the room, hands covering her face as her drenched uniform sloshed wildly. The door slammed open and close, the girls waiting outside staring at the running woman in shock. The room was draped in silence and everybody exchanged worried glances.

 _This would probably traumatize her but geez… thank God that's over,_ she thought glumly.

The tall albino sighed, shoulders slacking dramatically. "Now that that's over and done with…" he held out a hand to Jaehee who sat near the puddle, hair dripping and moistening his glasses. "You better get cleaned up."

Jaehee took Zen's outstretched hand and hoisted himself up. She saw Yoosung running over with a paper bag in his arms. "Here, this was the only spare we had left… Hope you don't mind wearing this again."

Jaehee wore a gentle, fond expression. "…No. I'll go change."

The others nodded. "Good," Jumin muttered as V proceeded to the center of the room, clearing his throat and catching the others' attentions.

"Everybody, the host club must unfortunately close its doors early after this little incident. We are very sorry for the inconveniences this will cause each of you. Rest assured we shall do our best to prevent such matters from arising again and hope that all of you will continue to support us."

While there were a few sounds of disappointment, all the students didn't object and filed out of the room, V following from the back to most likely announce the same thing to the people waiting outside.

She fiddled with the strap of her watch as she saw Hana sidle over to her side, giving her an anxious look.

"… Uhm, can you please remove your arm from my head now?" she mumbled to the glasses-wearing redhead.

He flashed her one cheeky smile. "Your head's pretty nice to lean on though."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not an armrest."

"Okay then, now you're a headrest!"

"Please don't tell me that was a pun because it was so bad."

He stuck at a tongue at the brunette, his elbow rubbing against her head and messing up her hair. "Nope~! Ah, why are you so fun to tease Jung-chan? So cute~"

"S-stop it..." she stammered, becoming highly uncomfortable at the different kind of non-hostile attention she was receiving.

Seven hummed before winking at her. She groaned internally and pushed the guy's arm away, fixing her bangs and pausing to glance at the silent twin beside them. He had a faraway look in his eyes but it quickly disappeared when he laid his eyes on her.

Then he shrugged.

Hyunjung sighed—rejecting the idea of facepalming—as she turned to Hana. "So, I guess we should go?"

The heiress laughed sheepishly. "Yeah…"

With that confirmation, she spun on her heel and bowed to the twins who were walking away, Yoosung joining up with them as he spoke in hushed tones. "Then please excuse us." As she raised her head up, she spotted something brown-colored sticking out from under a pillow on the seat she and Jaehee had previously occupied.

"Ah." She hurriedly picked it up. _A wallet… must be Jaehee's._ "Hey…" She saw that none of the members were there anymore and felt a headache resurfacing.

"Hana, you go on first I have to do something. Wait for me by the stairs."

She ignored the protest her friend yelled at her and dashed towards the general direction of where she saw the twins and the blonde move to. While on the run, she decided to make a quick examination of the rather beaten wallet, thinking that in case she might be wrong about this, and skidded to a halt.

Amber eyes widened at the sight of the first ID card she saw.

"What…"

The photo on the ID showcased a familiar face with straight long hair slithering down to their back and clearly showing their round honey colored eyes, who was wearing the blue and black female's uniform from a nearby high school Hyunjung herself once went to before transferring so she couldn't be mistaken. Not only that, the information printed on the side of the card slapped her with one irrevocable truth.

 _Jaehee's a girl?_

Then again, that would explain some things about the androgynous ma—female. The surprise from the revelation had started to fade away when she heard a manly squeal coming from behind another door she didn't notice was there before.

Her mind was swarmed with dozen of questions. Why was Jaehee here with the guys though? She wasn't blackmailed, that much was obvious. And why was she in the guy's uniform to begin with? Is it to hide her identity as a girl? But the since the school administration knew, so were they trying to hide it from the student body? But why?

Too many questions and so little answers…

Well, she wouldn't get her answers if she kept on just idling here. Hyunjung stepped forward only to be stopped… by a hand on her shoulder.

"You're still here?"

She bit down a snappy retort and turned to face the ever calm face of V. "Hyunjung, right?"

 _How did he sneak up on—oh right he was outside._ "Yes, but just Jung is fine," she replied, holding out the wallet to the taller man.

He tucked the tablet under his arms and tilted his head slightly, a flash of recognition dawning once he scrutinized the object in her hands. "I found this lying around. Haven't checked whose it is but I think you guys can easily track the owner down," she lied smoothly. Whatever the reason for keeping Jaehee's gender a secret was, she wanted to tread on this matter carefully…

V grabbed the worn out wallet and traced his thumb on it. "This is actually Jaehee's…"

"I figured. It was on the couch we were both sitting on. He must have dropped it when he got pulled by Nari."

The teal-haired man pocketed the wallet and smiled at her. "It must have. Thanks for bringing it to us."

She chuckled softly. "Of course… considering the context of what happened earlier, I don't think he'll like it if he lost it."

It was interesting to see how she was actually being observed by those lime colored eyes of his. They were burning with curiosity and she knew they were searching her own for any hint of lies. Sneaky, sneaky…

Another small smile from V and he ruffled her hair. She raised an eyebrow at the act.

"You know you can just say you actually saw what's inside. We aren't gonna be mad." His deep baritone voice went a pitch lower and she instinctively breathed in deeply. Then, she released a shaky breath, disguising it with a laugh.

"Why are you reassuring me for something when I didn't even check what's inside?" she challenged.

"Since I did see you take a peek?" he stated in a matter-of-factly tone. "The surprise on your face was evident."

She sighed, rubbing her knuckles in an attempt to ward the edge creeping against her sense. "Really now?"

"Really."

Closing her eyes, the brunette fought the urge to hightail out of the room. She didn't know what may happen then and besides… she could just simply promise she won't say anything at all. That would work out fine for both parties and it wouldn't escalate, right? "… Okay then. Let's say I did see whatever was inside. What then?"

V removed his hand and put a finger over his mouth, the universal signal for silence. "Just give your word that you'll never speak of this with anyone else, not even your friend. You're lucky it was me who found you, the others would definitely freak out about the issue and might have done something unpleasant."

Chills went up her spine at the underlying threat that statement kinda had. Hyunjung let herself slump, a defeated look making her look as if she had lost a few years of her life. "Okay, fine. I promise."

She was rewarded with another ruffle of her hair. "Good. You should go before anybody sees you…"

The scholar huffed as she tried to fix the mess he made with her brown locks, sending him an annoyed look. "Before I do that, I wanna ask why Jaehee's with you guys and you're making her dress up as a guy."

He seemed startled by the sudden question and quickly ducked his head. "Ah, she was already looking somewhat like that before… a few things happened and let's just say she has a debt to repay." He shook his head as a barely visible exasperated expression painted his face differently. Hyunjung's eyebrows scrunched worriedly. The calming aura he had earlier had dulled and just… felt wrong. It's almost as if he's hiding something.

"Jihyun-hyung! I need to borrow my tablet~!"

Well, crap.

She shot the man a look and he mutely nodded, mouthing the words _Go_. Hyunjung ran as fast as she could towards the door, not daring to look back. She was definitely being loud but she trusted that V would make an excuse for her.

"Hyung~? Where are you? And why does it sound like someone's running?"

In her panic, she completely found herself accidentally bumping her elbow against something she didn't even notice.

Her eyes would have probably dilated as it locked on to the object.

An antique vase.

It careened to the side, and was about to fall—

 _No you don't!_

With quick reflexes, she reached out and grabbed the handle, barely keeping it from crashing. She let out a relieved breath and propped it back on the stand, musing about why it was put on display here unprotected where it could easily be bumped into like she had did just now.

At the very least, she got out without any more problems. Looking back on what had happened can come later.

Hopefully.

* * *

*Hell Joseon – a slang that Koreans use to highlight the problems of living in a society wherein gaps in quality of life, strict social hierarchies, lack of government transparency and corporate control is considered common.

*Hyung and oppa are variations of honorifics used to respect and describe older males.

*Sunbaenim is used to describe a person regarded as a senior, may it be in school or work.

*The topic Hyunjung was reading on was the story The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe.

*The host designation system will be expanded more in future chapters but here's the rundown: Basically when someone designates a host that usually means that you've chosen them as your favorite and will most likely continue to support him in the future, thus alleviating the host's reputation and bringing in more clients after giving feedback in the RFHC website in a certain period of time. However, there is also no established rule that clients cannot change their designations, meaning they are free to choose whoever their favorite is once again and thereby allowing a sort of friendly competition/popularity contest within the club.

 **ADDITIONAL A/N:** I don't know if I can continue this immediately—like wow, I didn't even notice how long I had written the first chapter to be—but I hope you guys enjoyed nonetheless ^^ I know I enjoyed writing the ridiculous dialogue XD

P.S. I never understood why the vase was there in the OHSHC anime tho XD Like why no glass case to hold it in since it's supposed to be put up for auction?!

P.P.S. You probably thought the thing was gonna break didn't ya XD


	2. But Satisfaction Brought It Back

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm genuinely surprised about the feedback, I never even expected this fic to reach a single review yet lol. By the way, I had changed a small detail in the previous chapter: the school's name is now _**Hyuang International High School**_. Also, a few edits in lines here and there but nothing major to note.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

But Satisfaction Brought It Back

* * *

There were times in one's life when information overload was imminent and unavoidable. With it brought many things, stress the most common amongst other things such as headaches, possible lethargy and panic attacks.

In this particular case, one Hyunjung Lee rushed down the hallway, mind reeling from everything that had just happened a few moments ago, specifically the nightmare that was the host club and its members. It was ridiculous and the series of out-of-the-blue events had sapped the energy out of her, well, the mental part at least. Nearly everything had caught her off-guard and the people in that club seemed to have no appreciation for personal space! What was up with that?!

Her heart was thrumming faster and faster as she scooted down the stairs and into the hallway that would lead her outside, getting more agitated by the minute. She fussed with her hair as she hastened her steps to the ground floor, where a familiar figure was standing idly with her eyes glued to her phone.

The brunette schooled her expression back to its indifferent one, not wanting her mood to be soured any further. Not only that, Hana would have grilled her alive trying to find out what caused it. V had made her promise to secrecy so she had to abide to it, besides she didn't want to involve the girl in this, seeing as the group seemed rather protective of the glasses-wearing crossdresser.

As soon as she was only a step away, Hana looked up and greeted her with a smile. "Took you long enough," she chirped, pocketing her phone. "Gee, you look like you crawled back from the bowels of hell."

The scholar rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to stay there any longer, if that's what you wanted to know."

The redhead smiled conspiratorially. "Oh? Did something else happen after returning the wallet?"

Hyunjung flinched at that, though she did her best to redirect her discomfort by making an noncommittal noise: "If you mean getting tortured by Zen-sunbaenim and his merry band of oddballs' hyper voices then my answer would be yes."

The heiress raised an eyebrow as she inched closer to her as they started their walk down the path to the front doors. "Anything else?" she questioned.

"Not really," she said curtly.

"Really?" the redhead drawled.

Hyunjung sighed. "Why are you so curious?" she asked, face carefully neutral.

"So there _is_ something?" she cheekily said, smirking at the girl who was trying her best to keep her patience. "You're normally not this peeved unless something really got to you." The brunette internally cursed at the redheaded girl and immediately tried to think of a plan to drive them away from the topic.

"You're not gonna stop, are you?" the brunette mumbled in exasperation and glared at Hana, who was giving her a mischievous grin. "How did I become friends with you again?"

"It's cuz I wuv you Jung~" Catching the heiress' movements, Hyunjung stepped away from her attempts at tackle-hugging her out in the open, which prompted said girl to pounce on her once again. She instantly made a face at the display and motioned for her to stop.

She only stuck her tongue out, and knowing her she had to resort to a compromise. "Keep doing that and I'm not gonna tell you a thing. So—"

Before Hyunjung could finish her threat, Hana was back at her place walking side by side with her in the blink of an eye. For a good five seconds, she just stared at the teleporter.

"So, you gonna tell me now~?" she said in a sing-song tone, batting her eyes at her innocently.

Hyunjung sucked in a breath. _Yeah, I'm gonna need some aspirin later._

"Okay then…" she paused, looking right at her friend's green eyes seriously. "The thing is that I almost knocked over an expensive looking vase back at the club room. Luckily, I had caught it before it hit the ground."

That made the girl turn to her so fast she may have given herself a whiplash, a confused look briefly crossing her face before realization dawned on her. "Oh my goodness, did you seriously just tell me you almost broke a 150 million won vase?" she asked. Hyunjung's eyes widened at the figures and she could only nod, causing the redhead to slump. "Zen told me that vase was going up for auction as part of an event they're arranging."

The brunette managed to snap out of her shock and massaged her temples. "Then why was it out in the open like that with no glass cases to hold it so it _won't_ be prone to accidents?"

"Maybe someone forgot to place it back? I do recall it having a case before the whole Miss Accuser fiasco," she muttered angrily, and the two shared dismayed glances. "When Jumin passed by our table, he did say that it would be careless of them not to have that though handling of the vase was allowed as long as one of the members would be accompanying you and have you wear gloves."

Hyunjung hummed at that information, giving her short condolence for the poor soul that had the sad memory span of a goldfish, resulting in their impending punishment. No, she did not regret insulting whoever it was yet as she felt the need to let out some steam in her mindscape. That was their fault and their fault alone.

"I know they're showing it off to potential buyers but I detect another motive to this," she said sourly.

Hana chuckled. "Of course there is. The event was actually the party."

The scholar stopped in her tracks, the pieces slowly coming together. "Oh," she eloquently said, raising her hand to rub the bottom of her nose. "Is that… why they're so adamant with their activities?"

"Well, they didn't say it outright but I figure that it's most likely it." She shrugged.

"So they're basically surveying inventory?"

The heiress' nose crinkled at the idea. "Pretty much," she quipped.

Hyunjung wanted to curl up into a tiny ball right now. "Stupid rich people and your stupid politics," she barked out, earning her a few distasteful glares from the other students walking around them while Hana laughed at her frustration. The brunette fought the urge to shrink away and settled on fiddling with the strap of her wristwatch. _You can do this, Hyunjung. Just two more years of suffering._

"So, as much as I want to continue our little chat, my ride is here. I'll see you tomorrow then?" Hana suddenly spoke again and the scholar noticed the car parked a few steps away from the front of the school, a man in a butler outfit that she didn't recognize staring at them blankly.

He was most likely a new employee assigned to Hana. The brown haired-man strangely seemed tense in the shoulders and seemed to be around their age and could be a little older, foot lightly tapping on the asphalt every few seconds. Apart from all those points, she had to admit that he had quite a charming look to him, if only his eyebrows weren't creased like that and if he tied his layered shoulder-length hair back. _He looks skittish and hasn't approached to Hana. Maybe I should lighten up the mood so he knows that she's approachable._

"Unless I get kidnapped, brutally tortured and get left in a ditch, then yeah," she replied, disregarding the hole the man was burning into her head.

Hana snorted. "Right, and Han is actually into BDSM."

"Oh? I never thought you two were close… oh, wait, you top or bottom?"

The driver shot her a scandalized look, pink dusting his cheeks while Hana rolled her eyes, though she swore the girl was also blushing. Hey, she brought the idea up first.

Hana suddenly straightened up. "It's obvious, isn't it? I go on top of course… with me crushing his damned face into a bloody pulp with my boots," the redhead calmly cited before she winked at her, Hyunjung in turn involuntarily gulping at the deadly glint in her eyes.

"I never thought I'd see you that pissed off," she nervously croaked out.

"He's an annoying prick." The words tumbled out of her lips quickly, her expression darkening for a moment before she switched to her default smile. All that in just a second. She turned to the silent man. "Let's go then."

That snapped the man out of his thoughts, judging by his slack-jawed expression it was on the lines of 'naughty'. "Ah, y-yes Miss Cha."

Hyunjung watched as the heiress threw him an amused smirk before entering the car. The man on the other hand, gave Hyunjung a curious glance before entering the vehicle himself. They drove off and she continued to stare at the car that was disappearing into the distance. _What was that all about..?_

"Ah, I should probably just try asking her next time," the brunette grumbled as she began her walk down to the entrance gates.

The trees rustled and leaves danced around in the air around her. The brown-haired girl reveled in the peace, observing the many cars that passed her, some more expensive looking than the others. This went on until she got out of Hyuang International and to the more familiar streets of Seoul, rushing to the bus stop with one bus that was about to leave.

"Ah, wait! I'm getting on!" she yelled, waving frantically in the hopes of getting the driver's attention.

Fortunately, the driver heard her and she thanked the older man as soon as she got onboard, who smiled at her in return. She ambled over to a nearby seat and sat down, bringing out her phone and earphones to once again drown out the world. Honestly, she would have dozed off if not for the fact that the ride only lasted a traffic-free fifteen minutes. Hyunjung jolted out of her stupor at the driver's announcement and calmly got off from the bus, waving at the old man with a small smile. He tipped his hat, shooting the brunette a friendly wink before the doors closed.

Readjusting her messenger bag, Hyunjung jogged away from the city streets and into the quiet neighborhood. A few dogs howled when she passed, a few distant chatters from the house occupants calling out to the pets, before she set her sights on the grey colored high rise apartment building that was seven stories tall. Hyunjung quickly entered and made her way up to the fourth floor, staggering to Room 407. She was about to open the door when it slammed open, a smaller figure yelling in a shrilly voice.

"I'll just go buy some snacks from the convenience store! Be back in half an hour or so," the little girl hollered, wearing a simple dark blue hoodie, jeans and sneakers, her back facing Hyunjung.

Hyunjung couldn't help but sigh at the younger girl. Her tendencies to splurge on snacks excessively were bound to make her sick and contract UTI again. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned closer to the girl who was fumbling with her shoe laces. "So, mind moving before I bop you on the head?"

The girl stumbled forward, almost faceplanting if not for Hyunjung grabbing her by the arm. She whirled around, ready to scream bloody murder but instantly relaxed when she figured out who it was. "Oh come on, unni! P-please don't surprise me like that."

"I wasn't even trying to," she remarked, nearly breaking out in a laughing fit as she observed the frustrated look on her face.

"You should've just greeted me normally," she groused, pulling her arm away to tie her shoes.

Hyunjung watched as the little girl fumbled a bit with the laces. "But I did, Hyunri."

"I did not ask to be threatened," Hyunri deadpanned, tightening the knot on her sneakers before shoving her hands into her hoodie's pockets.

"And I did no such thing. I simply greeted you, and you reacted negatively."

The twelve-year old sighed loudly. "Who greets people by whispering creepily into their ear?"

The brunette giggled before patting the girl's head. "Kidnappers, murderers, rapists, psychopaths and the like," she listed off, nearly smirking at the horrified look she got from her. "Oh, don't give me that look. You should know your dear sister isn't one of them."

"Geez, that's nice to know," The short-haired girl grunted, then swatted her hand away.

The brunette gave her a beaming expression, but then her she turned serious."Speaking of things to know... you should seriously lay off the snacks and buy some jelly-filled bread instead. And maybe some milk and juice too."

She paled for a split second. "I—"

"Don't even start," she cut her off with a menacing glare, earning a squeak from her. "You and I both know that you shouldn't even be allowed to handle money, like with the way you completely blew it playing at the arcade. Priorities before luxuries, remember?"

"You didn't have to bring that up again…" The short-haired girl flushed, clearly ashamed at her past actions. "B-but, hyung was the one who told me to buy some for movie night later. The money is his."

"Is that so?"

Hyunri nodded, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze. On one hand, she could just let her sister be on her merry way and buy those snacks, no harm done and all that jazz. Yet another part of her was trying to convince her that it'd just be a waste of money, considering the many deadlines that were looming behind them. She stared at the pouting girl, debating her choices and suddenly… Oh God, Hyunri was sending her the look: the puppy dog eyes.

No! NO! NO!

NO!

N to the O!

NO, DAMMIT.

She cringed at the way the little girl was starting to appear teary-eyed, and began to regret all life decisions.

 _…_ _Damn it all._

Before long, the brunette shook her head in exasperation. "What am I gonna do with you guys?" she mumbled to herself before addressing her sister. "Okay, fine, go buy those snacks. Knowing hyung, he probably gave extra so I guess you could sneak in some bread and milk."

The way Hyunri's eyes seem to practically sparkle made her sigh. "Wait, really?!"

"Yes, yes, really. Now scram, kiddo."

She promptly pushed the girl out the door, who then nearly lost her balance in the process. Hyunri gave her an evil glare while she smirked and stuck her tongue out, causing the girl to shut the door with a bang. Stifling a set of giggles, she removed her shoes and drifted over to the kitchen, where she could hear her mother cooking.

"I'm back," she said, pulling the sliding door open.

"Welcome back. What was the commotion earlier about?" her mother's soft voice chimed, accompanied by the sound of her stirring the ladle in the pot. Her wavy hair was up in a messy bun, gray hair peeking out in some areas and she wore a green apron over a white shirt and shorts. The smell of congee was wafting in the air, unconsciously making her stomach grumble from the lack of lunch.

"She probably messed with Hyunri again," A deep voice said flatly before she could speak.

A tall, slender male in a red tracksuit entered the kitchen, hair messed up and glasses placed crookedly on his nose. Freckles dotted his face and dark brown eyes gave an inquisitive look towards Hyunjung.

"Hyung, I think you misunderstand," she gave him an amused smile as she moved to grab a half-full milk carton from the fridge. Perhaps messing with him should tip him off of how slightly pissed she was of his favor to Hyunri… and from being duped by the 'look' again. "I just greeted her and she was caught off-guard by my appearance."

He snorted. "And how did that lead to the front door being slammed?"

"Ah, that would be the part when I urged her to get going," the brunette easily countered.

"How does nearly breaking a door result from simple urging?" he pushed with a challenging look on his face.

The scholar cocked her head to the side, mirroring his expression. "I merely let her on her way and she closed the door with a stronger force than expected because of my egging her on," she explained.

"So doesn't that mean that you technically did mess with her? And there's the hint that you actually intended to do so with the words 'than expected' and 'egging her on' thrown in. Normally you'd say you were surprised, shocked, or state that 'it was unexpected'."

He… had a point. Denial wouldn't work in this argument. _Darnit, I thought I had him._ "Touche."

Her brother sent her triumphant look. "Better luck next time, Jung." He waltzed over to the dinner table and sat down, slumping back on the chair. Hyunjung grabbed the milk and a glass from the cabinet with a snort before sitting down as well.

"You're back early, Taehyun," their mother called out as she chopped some green onions.

"My editor had an emergency," he absent-mindedly said while he checked his phone, finger moving fast over the screen. "It's alright since I finished the manuscript earlier than I thought."

Hyunjung stared at him meaningfully. "So that means…"

Taehyun gave her a toothy smile. "We rescheduled the meeting for next week so I'm basically free as a bird."

Their mother scuttled over them with what could only be an impish smile, ladle still in hand. "Oh? Perhaps I should have you help out in making kimchi with your free time then."

She held back a laugh at her brother's comical expression. "What?! No, please spare your handsome son from that, mother!"

"Yeah, right, keep snacking on those potato chips you love and got Hyunri to buy again and let's see you in a few years, couch potato," the brunette shot back, earning a frown from her mother.

"Wait, you got Hyunri to buy those, what were they called, oh, HBC again?" she inquired, ladle pointed at his face. "I thought you were saving money to get access to a gym son. I thought you wanted that beach body."

He blanched while Hyunjung smirked. Oh, payback is sweet. "Yeah hyung, and here I thought you finally wanted to impress a girl?"

Mother Lee gasped. "Oh my, why didn't you tell me this Hyunjung? My baby boy is interested in someone?"

She paused at the glare that told her ' _don't you dare'_ before casually smiling. "Yeah, she's this cute girl he met at the coffee shop two weeks ago, sadly enough she called him lanky and shot down his flirting," she giggled out, watching her brother's face turn a deep shade of red. "He took it quite hard."

"Really?" The older woman raised an eyebrow in surprise before whirling towards Taehyun. "You should start holding back on those chips then. A woman like that is rare and I will _not_ lose my chance to get my grandchildren!"

The brunette grinned at the way her brother's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "You heard the woman bro," she pressed on.

"W-wait, there's no way I'm giving up on my snacks!" he exclaimed, aghast at the idea. "You can't make me!"

The older woman clicked her tongue. "Food over love? Really, son?"

"What a shame," she added.

His face had gone even redder. "I-I… my HBC has always been—"

"A source of excess belly fat?" "Fat-inducing?" Both her and her mother said at the same time. They gave each other a glance, an idea sparking in their head simultaneously. Taehyun frowned and let himself slide into his seat, eyes darting left and right but not in Hyunjung's or their mother's direction.

Hyunjung clapped her hands. "Okay, maybe we should issue a ban on potato chips while hyung gets his act together?"

"Good idea, Jung! I am getting quite tired of him screaming that he's gonna take a potato chip and eat it. Now that I think about it, maybe it's been affecting him more than I thought." Their mother cupped her cheek with her free hand, a convincing worried look on her face.

Her brother shot up in his chair. _Oh, there we go._ "WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE AGAINST HONEY BUDDHA CHIPS?!" he finally screamed, hands flailing wildly.

"Nothing really, we just wanna mess with you," The two Lee women chorused immediately.

Taehyun groaned and planted his face unto the table, leaving them to release the long overdue laughter. She didn't really have anything against snacks. Oh no, no, no, she liked them as much as any other person, but her brother's very loud reactions to them was always priceless. And while she can be a… strict about splurging on stuff like that, she still appreciated what merits it had to offer.

"Daff bowf owf yu arw cwuel." She heard him say, head still on the table.

"We still love you, son," Mother Lee enthusiastically stated before winking at Hyunjung and skipping back to the stove. The brunette simply poured another glass of milk and left it by her brother's head.

"Better luck next time, Tae-hyung," She drawled out cheekily before grabbing her bag. "I'll be in my room for a bit then."

"Okay, dinner will be in half an hour."

Hyunjung nodded before trudging to her room, locking the door behind her and turning on the lights. The plain light blue wallpaper greeted her and she placed her bag at her desk before searching her closet for clothes. Throwing on a plain red shirt and shorts, she placed her old clothes on a basket mother set up for everybody and plopped down on her computer chair. She spun around for a bit, blankly staring at the ceiling before stopping to glare at the bed just beside her.

Sleep was calling out to her, mostly because there was still fatigue lingering from the earlier madness she encountered earlier. Yeah, she hadn't forgotten about that and she didn't dare expand on the thought much until she had finished everything else. Her mood had somehow gone up after her teasing… she just hoped it would hold. The brunette fussed with her hair, twirling a few strands of her bangs before tying it back in a messy bun.

And so she reluctantly began answering her English exercises, which she did easily enough, and did the draft for her essay on Greek mythology.

Well… that was before she started doodling mindlessly on the corners of her paper.

Having an overloaded mind did not bode well.

A grim look fell on her face and she crumpled the paper into a ball, dropping it into the bin to her left. She feebly tried to get back into her drive, however small, but it was fleeting. She was stuck scribbling on the paper, ideas and words escaping her head. How hard was it to write something about Eris making Aphrodite, Hera and Athena fight for a golden apple in the name of vanity?

Really hard, apparently. Her brain wasn't cooperative today. There was probably some sense somewhere in the nonsensical sentences she had jot down but it wasn't clear to her.

The brunette sighed as a knock on her door notified her it was dinner time. "I'm coming," she said dejectedly, stoic look back in place.

Dinner was a short and lively affair, with Hyunri arriving just as the table was being set up. Taehyun instantly dragged her away from sight the moment she presented the plastic bag full of goodies, which elicited an eye-roll from the scholar and a chortle from their mother. They returned shortly after, now a fuming midget and a delighted giant. After some small chitchat, Hyunjung quickly finished off her dinner and proceeded to slink back to her room, not wanting to get dragged into movie night—though she was tempted.

 _At least those two will be enjoying themselves tonight… okay, that sounds wrong._ Stupidly snorting to herself, Hyunjung fumbled towards her desk, glaring at the half-written draft and her textbooks. She really should be getting back to her assignments and get some studying done but…

The next thing she knew, she was lying in bed, sinking into the mattress and into unconsciousness.

* * *

When she woke up at the ungodly hour of 3AM, Hyunjung just stared at the ceiling. Blinking the remainders of sleep out of her golden brown eyes, she tossed about in her sheets. Her thoughts whirled to the events of the previous day, questions upon questions upon questions… none of them really answered. Most of them centered on the girl masquerading as a guy and the mysterious creator of this club that decided the world needed a host club in a _school environment_.

In fairness, she didn't really have any business thinking about the wacky host club she had just met for half an hour of her perfectly fine life. She didn't have to care about the whys and hows. She just had to keep a secret she didn't mean to find out and that would be that.

Besides, she still had a frickin essay to finish.

It was a hard process, trying to squeeze words to magically fill in the yellow pad paper she had. She would constantly alter between writing, staring at the wall and twirling the pen in her hands, not necessarily in that order. Eventually, she finished the thing in an hour, which was a miracle in itself. She then skimmed through her textbooks for important information in today's lessons, leaving sticky notes in sections where she'd have to review the topic again to understand the concepts better.

The brunette stretched and felt her muscles pop satisfactorily. Stealing a glance at the wall clock, Hyunjung decided to have an early breakfast. Taking another nap would have been fine but she didn't want to run the risk of oversleeping again. Light was slowly seeping from the curtained window in front of her.

With that decided, the scholar quietly exited her room, passing her parents' room on the way. A sad expression ghosted her face when she saw the half ajar room, showing the two resting lumps on her bed that was her mother and father, who probably arrived just a few hours ago because of his constant overtimes. By the desk lamp on her mother's side was a bunch of hastily clipped together papers and on her father's side was his bag and crumpled old suit. The two cuddled next to each other, the hum of the electric fan in the corner settling the brunette's mood into a more eased one.

Hyunjung smiled sadly and closed the door as silently as she could.

Right, she had to remind herself. She was doing this not just for her but for them and she wouldn't let anything get in the way of what she had planned for the future.

Besides, it's not like she was going to come back to the club. She had enough of them, thank you very much.

She quickly set herself to cleaning up and came out of the shower as soon as she came in. Drying her hair, she chanced upon her reflection in the mirror, noting how her eye bags had sunk even more. Not that she minded as it was already part of her look. Hana occasionally berated her for not bothering to fix herself up with some concealer and light makeup and she could only shrug. She had no problems doing that since her mother often taught her a few basic tips but she couldn't afford to waste time and money on such temporary things.

Hyunjung tore her gaze away and proceeded back to her room to dress up. She threw on an over-sized red plaid shirt with a black undershirt, black tights and her sneakers before going back to the kitchen to make a bowl of instant noodles and pack lunch from yesterday's leftovers. No one was still awake thankfully and she left without much preamble.

Arriving early at school provided a peaceful silence. It felt nice, where no one would bother her and she could just listen to the music until class started. There were no problems to think about, just her, music and a good book. The light from the rising sun outside cast a serene atmosphere, just perfect. She tied her hair back in a high ponytail before taking out her borrowed copy of Dan Brown's _Digital Fortress_. She took the time to smell the pages blissfully. _That smell never gets old._

It would have been even more perfect with a steaming cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top but eh, she wasn't complaining.

Hyunjung let her mind travel as the story progressed, alternating between the two protagonists whose lives and relationship were being challenged by an international crisis. She was on the edge of her seat at the mystery and the fact that one of the main leads was being chased. _Oh no no, you gotta run. You still have to propose to Susan. Speaking of Susan, I hope that jerk didn't do anything too bad to her computer terminal._ She thought, gripping her book tightly and fidgeting in her seat. Her reading was getting faster and faster and she tensely flipped to the next page.

"You're gonna burn a hole in that book with that intense stare of yours."

The spell broke and the brunette almost wanted to throw the book at whoever decided to speak. Almost. She didn't want to hurt the poor book.

"G'morning," she spoke tersely. Reluctantly putting the book down, she faced the sudden source of disturbance. "What's up?"

"Well~ I've been calling out to you for the past 10 minutes or so but you weren't responding. Class is about to start in 5 minutes," Hana said airily, her hand propped on the desk to support her chin and overly dramatic pout.

Hyunjung's eyebrows shot up, only now noticing the many students that now filled the classroom and the noise they produced. Huh, time went by fast. Had she really been reading for two hours?

"My bad." She quickly stuffed her book into her messenger bag and brought out her _History of Korean Dynasties_ textbook.

"No harm done, you seemed really into it." The redhead waved off before yawning, nearly causing Hyunjung to yawn as well. "I hope Professor Baek's late again…"

"Not likely. He'd never want a repeat of the first day," she mused, recalling the flustered look on her professor's face when he came barreling in through the classroom door, hair and uniform disheveled. It caused quite a gossip within the class, which caused the young professor to start arriving at least a few minutes early for homeroom. It was quite a sight, to say the least.

"I still wish he does…" The normally jovial woman then resumed her earlier position and stared into space, blinking wearily.

She raised an eyebrow at the heiress. "What's got you tired already?"

Hana exhaled slowly. "Just a few things back home. I didn't get enough sleep because of it but I'll be fine. I just need some caffeine in my system later." She then gave Hyunjung a sidelong glance before gaining a ghost of a smirk. "What? Don't worry honey. I'll be in top form later."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Oh, you know you miss it."

"I miss it as much as I miss stepping on a giant turd just lying under the sun on a mountain slope after accidentally slipping," she snarked. That was a memory that got her involuntarily scowling.

That got a small chuckle from the redhead. "Talk about getting into some huge shit."

 _I seem to have an uncanny ability to get myself into things like that, sadly enough._ She thought to herself before leveling a half-hearted glare at the now listless redhead. "Language," she pointed out, glancing at the other people who seemed displeased with what they were overhearing.

Hana noticed her expression and shrugged. "Alright then."

The scholar was about to say something but stopped herself once she heard the door open, their homeroom teacher smiling and this time, impeccable with his attire. On cue, the bell had also rung, prompting everyone to stand up and greet him. After rollcall, class began and Hyunjung couldn't help but notice how close Hana was to dozing off.

The brunette made a mental note to accompany her to the cafeteria later, discomfort be damned.

* * *

She quickly hurried down the hallway, holding the bundle of papers close to her chest. Her eyes scanned the signs hanging besides each door, searching for the Social Studies Club's room. At the same time, she noted the number of female students walking towards one specific area she wasn't keen on passing by, so she hastened her search. As she reached the end of this floor, she cursed at her luck and concluded that the clubroom must be somewhere on the third floor.

 _Why, oh, why do you forsake me?_

Steeling her nerves, Hyunjung climbed up the stairs, mentally cursing Professor Oh for assigning her to take the essays to the room near the place she vowed to never set foot again. Not to mention asking for it during lunch time when she had something to deal with.

Once she got upstairs, the brunette squeezed through the crowd and ignored some of the looks the girls gave her. She walked in the opposite direction and sighed in relief as she spotted her destination. Hyunjung jogged over to the large doors and knocked twice before the door was opened by a male student, who instantly sized her up while some nonstop chatter could be heard. She held her tongue at the blatant staring before he asked what she wanted in a neutral voice.

She handed him the bundle, forcing herself to look at him in the eye with a stoic look of her own. "These are the essays from Class 2-B Professor Oh asked me to deliver."

He took it and flipped through some of the papers before nodding. "I see. Thank you. Anything else, a message or…?"

"No. I'll be taking my leave now," she said as the student gave her a polite smile.

"Alright. Have a nice lunch then," he replied before shutting the door with a muted click, and the voices faded away.

Hyunjung sagged slightly and sighed in relief. How was Hana able to stay so composed during those kinds of conversations, she didn't know, but gosh, props to her for looking so natural while doing so. As she jogged back, Hyunjung cringed at the giggles from the female students, tensing as the door burst open, petals once again showering the approaching students.

Hyunjung suddenly felt sorry for the janitor.

Strangely enough, the scholar found herself bewildered at the tropical jungle-esque design she had seen the club had decided to adorn their room with, the background covered with the same jungle-like wallpaper to make it more realistic. There was even a toucan in there! And was that a small hut in the distance? Not to mention that the members appeared to be wearing rather revealing clothing similar to Balinese ones, causing the girls to swoon while they bumped into her. Well, with the exception of Jaehee, who had decided to stay in his—uh, her school uniform, though that didn't stop a few students from requesting her as their host. She guessed that was fine, her fellow scholar probably wasn't comfortable with showing off her skin and probably wanted to be careful about her secret.

She snapped out of the thoughts when she caught the eyes of one teal-haired man, who was giving her a curious look. Oh, crap, she didn't even notice that she was in clear view of the clubroom now, just behind two rows of squealing girls.

Hyunjung nervously ducked her head before bolting.

 _Too close. What was I thinking?!_

She found herself jumping down a few steps in her rush, completely unaware of the still lingering stare of V.

* * *

*Unni is a term used to address older females.

 **ADDITIONAL A/N:** Whoop dee frickin doo, I finally got this out! I had to rewrite this a couple of times just to make sure I wasn't rushing things and I feel kinda satisfied with how this came to be. I do apologize for this coming out so late, I've been busy with juggling priorities and I'll be honest, inspiration has been eluding me for quite a while because of my hard drive fiasco a month ago. Rest assured, I'll be establishing a better schedule for writing and I will have two extra copies of everything so I won't feel like deflating lol.

Anyways, I hope you guys did enjoy! And don't worry, things will definitely pick up in the next chapter… *evil laugh*

Big thanks to the people who reviewed ( **Ameri Lie, Sonia4et, allumy108, Guest #1,** and **Rishia (Guest #2)** ) and to those who favorited and followed! I'm grateful that you guys are showing interest in this little out-of-the-blue experimental AU of mine~


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